ABSOLUTE BATMAN #19 (DC COMICS)
Gotham City has a new face of fear roaming its’ streets.
The Joker has unleashed ARK M’s resident expert on psychology to handle the Absolute Dark Knight. This Bruce Wayne has overcome many obstacles in his short crime fighting career. Is he ready to face what secrets lie within?
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #19 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, & Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS) welcomes Absolute SCARECROW into its’ dark world!
Let’s take a deeper dive into what unfolds now.
ABSOLUTE BATMAN #19 by Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta, Frank Martin, & Tom Napolitano (DC COMICS)
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
The question surrounding this issue isn’t “How does Scarecrow debut”. It quickly becomes “How does Snyder cram some many huge moments into one issue”. The opening piece with Dr. Crane is Hitchcock turned up to 11. Crane’s words come with a chilling tone behind them. Exposing some secrets leads to deadly consequences. This moment sinks in as Batman and his new “family” take out some problems in the City. Their dialogue is more playful than expected. It’s a great sequence before the story unloads on its’ emotional arsenal.
The reunion with Waylon and Bruce hits all the high points fans would want. It’s an emotional gut punch on many levels. Before readers can catch their bearings from this, Snyder throws a haymaker of shock into play. Batman’s meeting with Jim Gordon goes off the rails at an extreme speed. The result will leave a huge void into the status quo between their relationship to say the least. The moment becomes a catalyst for a greater problem to emerge. Joker plays one more wildcard that shatters any preconceived notions of how far he will go to ensure victory. Just when you think you know the answers, Snyder scraps all the questions with a hard reset.
READ LAST ISSUE’S REVIEW HERE!
Dragotta and Martin start with the horrifying debut of Crane confronting two farmers. The scenes become tough as the anger flows between them. It leads to a darkly funny walk-off for Dr. Crane via two page splash. This transitions to the gritty streets of Gotham and “The Bat Nasty” at work. Panels reflect the high tempo chase tearing though the busy sections. There is a more lighter feel to these images as the story braces to head into heavier subject matter.
Waylon and Bruce’s meeting is perfectly staged via half page panel. It is easy to see the emotions appear considering what they have been through. The “happy” times don’t last long as events shift to Jim Gordon. What starts as a familiar scene between the pair switches gears very quickly. Readers watch as the erratic events play out in a dangerous direction. A full page image is simple in design but makes a loud statement. This moment sends Bruce down an uncomfortable crash landing. The closing pages usher in a new scenario that makes it very clear this is not your average Batman story. It leaves with a defiant statement in the closing panel. Get ready for what’s coming.
FINAL GRADE: 10
The dark days of Gotham City sink further into madness with an epic chapter filled with show-stopping moments. Snyder never lets up on the pressure applied on Batman’s shoulders. Dragotta and Martin construct incredible pages which elevate an already stacked story. This series continues to push the boundaries of what Batman storytelling is defined as.
Let me know your thoughts onAbsolute Batman #19 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
